Sarah Townsend: Freelance Copywriter & Word Wizard

Why I'm Quitting The To Do Show

I've been interviewing people about their to-do lists for months while mine was making me physically sick. I've been sick nonstop since I started recording. My body has been screaming at me to stop filling every moment with productivity and actually create space for stillness. I finally listened. What You'll Hear: * Why nervous system regulation means doing less, not organizing better * The impossible conflict between being a marketer and a storyteller (at least in this case) * What the internet rewards (extreme angles, prescriptive rules) vs. what this show celebrates (everyone's way is valid) * Why I can't reconcile myself as a marketing consultant with myself as a podcaster * The moment I realized I had to choose health over growth About This Episode:This is my final episode of The To Do Show. I loved every conversation and every guest. If you watched even one episode, I hope you walked away feeling like your way of doing things is completely valid. Links:Discover your To-Do List personality: thetodoshow.com/quiz [thetodoshow.com/quiz]More episodes: thetodoshow.com [thetodoshow.com]

Sarah Townsend: Freelance Copywriter & Word Wizard

Sarah Townsend has spent 26 years as a freelance copywriter helping other people say exactly the right thing. She's written a bestselling guide to self-employment, sold books in 29 countries, and built her entire career around getting words right. She also has ADHD, still switches productivity systems mid-project, and has "learn to cook quinoa" on her bucket list. She's one of us. What You'll Learn: * The "Do, Delegate, Delay, or Ditch" framework she uses instead of the Eisenhower Matrix, and why it works better for brains that need action words, not categories * Why she went five weeks without posting on LinkedIn and considers it the right call * The moment she stopped thinking "I can't afford to outsource" and started thinking "I can't afford not to" * How her 60 before 60 bucket list works: firewalk, helicopter ride, rugby match redemption, and yes, eating a prawn (verdict: "still reminds me of maggots") * What 26 years of freelancing actually looks like vs. what the hustle-bro crowd posts about About Sarah: Sarah Townsend is a UK-based freelance copywriter, author, and self-employment survival guide writer. Her book Survival Skills for Freelancers has sold in 29 countries and holds a 4.8-star rating on Amazon. She also writes books about language and spelling and runs her DocuMagic service turning documents nobody wants to read into ones people actually do. Links:Discover your To-Do List personality: thetodoshow.com/quizSarah's book: https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Skills-Freelancers-Self-Employment-Without/dp/1916371566More episodes: thetodoshow.com

Esther Brown: VP of Operations

Esther Brown wakes up at 4 AM to swim. She runs a diagnostic lab, gets her MBA, takes upholstery class with her mom every Tuesday, and is building a wellness brand on the side. She's had COVID five times. She's experienced burnout. And she told her friends she wants to start "dating" them because monthly is all she has time for. Now she treats her life like her lab: constant risk mitigation. Every morning starts with an energy check. Her entire to-do list adjusts based on that number. What You'll Learn: Why she bases her entire to-do list on her energy level each morning (low, medium, or high) The magnet method: how she redesigned a million-dollar lab using Staples poster board and cutouts Why thinking is harder than doing (and how she protects time for deep work) How she spent her first three months as VP at the bench, not in her office The "Do Not Do" list: protecting energy by writing down what you won't touch today Dating your friends: making a monthly pact when that's all you have capacity for Her Sunday ritual with jazz music: planning what must be true by Friday About Esther: Esther Brown is VP of Operations at Nexus Medical Labs. She's getting her MBA, building a wellness brand for working women, and applying risk mitigation thinking to everything from lab workflows to burnout prevention. Links: Discover your To-Do List personality: thetodoshow.com/quizMore episodes: thetodoshow.com

Jennifer Ruiz: Paper Florist

When Jennifer Ruiz tells people she makes paper flowers, they say "how cute." Then they see her four-foot installations for Valentino and L'Oreal and the reaction shifts to "oh." She works as a caregiver from 10:30pm to 6:30am, comes home to take her son to school, then creates massive floral installations on four hours of sleep. She's exactly at the financial breaking point where her business income matches her caregiver income. Not above it. Not below it. Right there. What You'll Learn: Why "paper florist" gets a different reaction than "I make paper flowers" How she learned to create giant flowers by watching YouTube tutorials in Russian and Korean The language kit she created so crafters can speak corporate to luxury brands Why her rental flowers (which last three years) are her biggest money maker How the paper florist community shares leads and pricing instead of competing What it's like to keep 80% of your business details stored in your head Why flowers became her escape and healing during a difficult time in her marriage About Jennifer: Jennifer Ruiz is a paper florist based in California who creates massive floral installations for luxury brands and weddings. She teaches monthly classes and is working toward running Petal Loft full-time. Links: Discover your To-Do List personality: thetodoshow.com/quizJennifer's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petal_loft/?hl=enMore episodes: thetodoshow.com

Lauryn Reifinger: Wedding Photographer

Lauryn creates dark, moody wedding photos. Not the bright, airy Pinterest style everyone expects. Her style makes people feel something they can't name. She edits each gallery two or three times, uploads it, then sometimes pulls it back down to re-edit more. While doing this obsessive perfectionism, she's listening to Stephen King and wondering who the killer is. Her 8-year-old daughter has adapted. She doesn't ask "Mom can you do this?" anymore. She says "Mom, can you set an alarm?" What You'll Learn: How constantly witnessing the deepest sentiment of people's hearts at weddings makes her "kinder to my husband. I'm like, aw my God, I guess I love you too." The printed list method: checking off every shot so the next 45 minutes are free to just be creative Why one bride grabbed scissors and redid her entire bouquet mid-wedding (and Lauryn just said "okay I'll be back") Her slow season list includes: taxes (sad face emoji), call Fidelity, make welcome guide, blog 47 weddings The question creative people face: "It's generally creatives who have the most awful evil taxes, and it's like, this is the opposite of what our brains were built for" What Taylor Swift knows about work-life balance that wedding photographers should steal About Lauryn: Lauryn is a moody wedding photographer based in the Philadelphia area who specializes in dark, saturated, atmospheric images. She got diagnosed with ADHD a little over a year ago and runs her business through a system of alarms, post-its, and organized chaos. Links: Discover your To-Do List personality: thetodoshow.com/quiz More episodes: thetodoshow.com